declaw
/diːˈklɔː/verb
declaw is spelled D-E-C-L-A-W: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 38 million words in written English, the 189,524th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, declaw means “To surgically remove the claws of (an animal); to perform onychectomy on” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in declaw?
| Letters | 6: D-E-C-L-A-W |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 38 million words; the 189,524th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is declaw?
Declaw appears about once in every 38 million words in written English, the 189,524th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce declaw?
- UK /diːˈklɔː/
Declaw has 2 syllables (counted from the pronunciation).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What rhymes with declaw?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as declaw from its last stressed vowel (/ɔ/, British pronunciation):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: clawed.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of declaw
- declaws present, singular, he/she/it
- declawing participle, present
- declawed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does declaw mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To surgically remove the claws of (an animal); to perform onychectomy on.
- 2
To make harmless; to remove the power, authority, or force from.
The acerbic comedy has been declawed by the demands of network TV.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Where does declaw come from?
From de- + claw.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).